The historic Maryland Inn in Annapolis fired an employee this week amid charges of racism and threats from top legislators to boycott the popular State House haunt if action wasn't taken.

Jeb Bello was given a termination slip Wednesday for "rudeness to guests with the outcome of loss of business" after an incident in which Del. Melony Ghee Griffith, an African-American from Prince George's County, said she and her companion, a constituent, were denied service, treated badly and told to wait even though tables were open.

Inn management said it wanted to respect the employee's privacy and would not discuss the termination.

However, in a letter, the delegate was told that management was "quite disturbed," that circumstances such as being understaffed did not "mitigate the rude treatment" and that Bello's "insensitivity was unacceptable and inconsistent with the professional behavior we expect from our staff."

The restaurant received calls, letters and visits from many state and city officials, including House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr., members of the Legislative Black Caucus and officials from Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke's office threatening to stop patronizing the restaurant.

Several officials reached by phone yesterday said they felt the matter had been handled satisfactorily.

Griffith, who was late for her reservation March 3, said Bello's demeanor would change from nasty to polite as he alternated between trying to seat her and trying to seat a white couple who came in after her. She said it was the second time Bello had treated her rudely at the restaurant.

"It is really hard sometimes for African-Americans to bring something like this forward," Griffith said. "I have just gotten to Annapolis. I didn't want people to say, 'Oh, she's one of those [negative types],' because I have worked very hard to establish my reputation and character as a positive person.

"I think the deepest part of all of this is that if he had been nasty to everybody, I could have lived with that," she said. "But when you are discriminate with your nastiness, that's what they call discrimination."

Bello, 24, who was born and raised in the county Griffith represents, said he isn't a racist and did not mean to offend her. He said he was under pressure because the restaurant was understaffed and the empty tables hadn't been bussed.

"She didn't understand," he said yesterday. "I told her it would just be a few minutes, but she felt slighted."

"I feel angry," said Bello, who had not been reprimanded before. " 'Bigot' is a hard word to shake off. But I understand [the restaurant's] motives. I would have to be an idiot not to understand why they are doing this. They have to look out for their best interests."

Bello, who said he is involved in the Unity Now Coalition for racial harmony in Annapolis, called Griffith to apologize. She said it sounded as though he was reading from a script, giving the same answer to different questions.

"I kept saying to him, 'Help me understand why,' and he would just keep saying, 'Again, I must tell you that I did not mean to offend ' " she said.

Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said it was the current climate that made the incident at the inn so intolerable.

Coming on the heels of a black man being dragged behind a truck in Texas, a gay man being tied to a fence in Wyoming, a disc jockey making racist remarks on a popular Washington D.C. radio station, "anything that appears to discriminate," he said, "your antenna has to be up."

"I would hope that what really comes out of this situation is that the employee learns something from it," he said. "That's what this is all about. And now we are moving on."

Griffith said she hopes she will be able to get past the incident as well.

"I see Annapolis like a quilt," she said, "and there is a tear in the fabric. But the actions of the Maryland Inn have started to mend that tear, and I think it will just take time."

Pub Date: 3/12/99